Fox Sister

After wandering around the yard deep in thought, my steps suddenly came to a halt.

An unpleasant fishy smell unexpectedly stung my nose.

Without realizing it, my gaze was drawn to a corner of the yard where an old jar sat.

With a heavy heart, I slowly approached and hesitantly opened the lid with trembling hands.

Inside lay darkness so thick that even moonlight couldn’t penetrate it.

In that darkness, the vague outline of something became visible.

Peering carefully inside, I saw human bones – knuckles, broken ribs, small fragments…

Before shock or disgust could hit me, sadness washed over my chest like a wave.

“Big sister…”

The voice from behind made my heart skip a beat.

I didn’t need to turn around to know.

From the shadows emerged my younger sister, her nine tails flowing gracefully behind her shoulders, and fox ears standing sharply atop her head under the moonlight. Her smile carried an unfamiliar sorrow.

“You knew all along, didn’t you, big sister.”

Keeping her gaze on the bones inside the jar, she whispered softly.

“So… that’s why you ran away, wasn’t it?”

Each word pierced my heart like a blade.

Yes, I had known. But I wanted to ignore it. I believed shutting my eyes and ears to the past was the best choice.

But eventually, I had come here to face this truth myself.

A whirlwind of emotions – sadness, despair, anger, hatred… and perhaps, faint traces of compassion – threatened to consume me.

The strength left my hands, and the jar’s lid clattered to the ground, shattering the peaceful night.

“Whose remains are these?”

I managed to ask through trembling lips.

Without hesitation, she replied calmly.

“Father’s remains.”

Father… who had rejected me so coldly.

‘And now he’s been reduced to this…’

A cold numbness spread from the pit of my stomach. Was it guilt? Or anger at Father for using me as a sacrifice?

Strangely, I felt my lips twitching upward. I couldn’t understand what emotion I was feeling. I wanted to cover my face with my hands but lacked the courage.

My frozen legs began moving on their own, reacting instinctively before I could think. I ran wildly, breath catching in my throat, heart pounding like it would explode, yet unable to stop.

I wanted to forget everything – my sister’s figure, her soft yet unsettling voice, and most importantly, this uncomfortable confusion.

“Do you really feel that good, running away and surviving, Sister?”

Third Brother’s icy voice echoed in my ear. Was it an auditory hallucination? Or a phantom created by my guilt? My steps grew heavier, as if invisible chains bound my legs.

“Sister! Please stop!”

Hearing my sister’s desperate plea from behind, I couldn’t stop. If I did, I’d be caught. If caught, I’d never escape this turmoil again.

But my legs wouldn’t move any further. It wasn’t because I was tired. Some unseen force held me in place – perhaps guilt, or maybe old fear.

I threw the white vase. With a sharp sound, bright white light exploded behind me. The air filled with thick white smoke.

Through the haze, thorny bushes cast eerie shadows under the moonlight. Beyond them, my sister’s face appeared like a white flower blooming in the night.

“Did the villagers… survive? And Second Brother…?”

Before I could finish my question, my sister’s lips curved into a gentle smile. That smile felt like cold frost.

“All the villagers were those who disgraced you.”

Her voice flowed like sweet honey but carried the chill of ice.

“Do you know what they said after you fled, accusing me of betrayal?”

She tilted her head innocently, smiling strangely.

“They called me a liar who framed you and ran away.”

A cold wind brushed against my cheek, reviving memories of past suffering.

She still smiled, but it wasn’t the pure smile I remembered. It was disturbingly beautiful and overwhelming.

“So I killed them all.”

Her voice remained light, as if discussing today’s weather.

“Aren’t they just humans who would die anyway?”

In her moonlit eyes, a red glint flashed – was it pure joy, or the gleam of a satisfied beast?

When she raised her hand, the surrounding thorny bushes tore apart easily like old paper, green sap oozing from the cuts.

My master’s voice echoed in my mind.

“Hongik Ingan… benefit all mankind.”

His warm, kind words resonated like distant winds in my head.

Deep in my chest, small glass vials rattled against my collar, sending cold sensations through my fingertips. Several red ones, and one blue one gleaming coldly among them. My trembling fingers caressed the smooth surface of a red vial.

An evil voice spoke.

“Humans blinded by greed, harming each other like beasts.”

The voice sounded clearly as if right beside my ear.

“Submitting to heaven’s will… benefiting such people?”

The hand holding the red vial involuntarily tightened. The vial with its crimson liquid seemed to glow with ominous bloodlight. Trembling, I raised my arm high with the red vial.

Under the moonlight, Seolhwa’s unwavering figure came into view. Without hesitation, she approached me. Her white hand extended slowly, as if waiting for me forever.

“You can live however you want.”

Seolhwa’s cold yet certain voice echoed in my mind.

“That’s what it means to be human.”

“Am I even human?”

“A selfish, weak existence that can’t even define its own emotions…”

The red vial ultimately fell from my hand without being thrown. Watching it fall, I felt an unexpected peace, like finally letting go after long waiting.

“Are you… truly my younger sister Ryeonga?”

My voice trembled with earnest hope.

“Yes, sister.”

She replied gently. Warmth enveloped my whole body. Her embrace was unexpectedly warm, melting away years of pain with its gentle heat.

“I only have one younger sister.”

For a while, I couldn’t speak, cradled in her arms. The heavy burden I’d carried for so long seemed to be dissolving.

“Good…”

A soft sigh escaped my lips. I no longer had the strength to resist. Perhaps I never intended to resist from the beginning.

“If you want… you can eat me.”

The words of resignation slipped through my lips.

“If you’re going to eat me… then do it.”

Her arms tightened slowly. I felt her sharp aura brushing against the back of my neck.

But contrary to expectation, there was no cold sensation piercing my throat. Instead, more warmth flowed from her embrace, peaceful enough to overshadow any unease.

“Why would I eat my precious sister?”

Her whisper was incredibly tender. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was her smile – genuine and far from the cruel aura of a yokai.

“My precious sister.”

Her words struck deep into my heart. I realized what I had been seeking all along… this warmth. It felt like finally returning to where I belonged.

“Will you stay with me?”

I asked quietly, without any hesitation or trembling, simply wanting confirmation.

“Yes, sister. We’re family.”

Bathed in moonlight, her cheerful smile looked simply beautiful.

Slowly, I raised my arms to embrace her. Whether she was a yokai didn’t matter anymore. Just as Seolhwa said, I decided to live as I wished.

---